---
kind: "section"
citation: "51 U.S.C. § 50502"
title: "51"
title_heading: "National and Commercial Space Programs"
number: "50502"
heading: "Launch voucher demonstration program"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/51/50502"
units:
  - "Subtitle V — Programs Targeting Commercial Opportunities"
  - "Chapter 505 — Commercial Space Competitiveness"
---

# §50502. Launch voucher demonstration program

- (a) **Requirement To Establish Program.—** The [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) shall establish a demonstration program to award vouchers for the payment of [commercial](/usc/51/50501.md?p=3) [launch services](/usc/51/50501.md?p=6) and [payload integration services](/usc/51/50501.md?p=10) for the purpose of launching [payloads](/usc/51/50101.md?p=2) funded by the [Administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1).
- (b) **Award of Vouchers.—** The [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) shall award vouchers under [subsection (a)](#a) to appropriate individuals as a part of grants administered by the [Administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1) for the [launch](/usc/51/50501.md?p=5) of—
  - (1) [payloads](/usc/51/50101.md?p=2) to be placed in [suborbital trajectories](/usc/51/50902.md?p=25); and
  - (2) small [payloads](/usc/51/50101.md?p=2) to be placed in orbit.
- (c) **Assistance.—** The [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) may provide voucher award recipients with such assistance (including contract formulation and technical support during the proposal evaluation) as may be necessary to ensure the purchase of [cost effective](/usc/51/50501.md?p=4) and reasonably reliable [commercial](/usc/51/50501.md?p=3) [launch services](/usc/51/50501.md?p=6) and [payload integration services](/usc/51/50501.md?p=10).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3405.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 50502 | 15 U.S.C. 5803(a)–(c). | Pub. L. 102–588, title V, § 504(a)–(c), Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5124; Pub. L. 105–303, title I, § 103, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2851. |

In subsection (a), the words “to become effective October 1, 1993”, which appeared at the end, are omitted as obsolete.